BLINN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WINS REGION XIV OPENER OVER KILGORE

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The Blinn College women’s basketball team went on the road and earned an impressive 78-70 over Kilgore College in both teams’ Region 14 opener on Saturday in Kilgore, Texas. 

Blinn won its third consecutive game and jumped to 11-6 overall and 1-0 in the region.

Last season, Kilgore (8-9, 0-1) won the Region 14 Tournament and advanced to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship tournament, and entered this year ranked eighth nationally and as the favorite to win the Region 14 regular-season crown.

“This was a good road win for our first conference game,” Buccaneers head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “We had 25 turnovers that led to 26 of Kilgore’s points so we have to do better at taking care of the ball, but we played and competed hard and made big shots down the stretch.”

Blinn led at the end of each period, but couldn’t fully shake the Rangers until the end.

The Bucs were ahead 18-15 at the end of the first period and took a 34-31 advantage into halftime. Blinn carried a 52-48 edge into the fourth quarter

The Bucs benefited from 13 3-pointers, including a 4-for-4 effort from freshman guard Chloe Williams and a 3-for-3 showing for sophomore guard Jasey Campbell. Sophomore guard Mariah Houston also hit a trio of triples.

Freshman guard Mariah Davis paced Blinn with 16 points, Williams followed with 14, and Houston, Campbell, and sophomore forward Cynthia LeCompte tacked on 11 apiece.

Up next, Blinn hosts region foe Angelina College at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.